Side Effects Are Minimal by Laura Essay

Author:Laura Essay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: She Writes Press

16

OPIOPHILIA

Claire leaned against the wall beside an electronic message board waiting for Alec. She sipped her caramel latte as hurried commuters rushed by. Countless people ran past with desperate looks of urgency while others lingered, trying but failing to look at ease.

Alec startled Claire as he jumped from the rushing crowd. He slid in by the message board with a rolled newspaper in hand. Claire glanced over, then turned back to the hectic crowd.

“For you.” Alec offered the paper.

“What’s this?”

“Headline caught my eye.”

Claire unrolled the paper and read the bold print. FATAL OVERDOSES CLIMB TO RECORD HIGH.

“There were 70,699 overdose deaths in 2019.” Alec pointed to the accompanying chart like a student showing his work. “That number grew to 107,000 in 2021. Most of those started with a legal opioid prescription.”

Alec looked around the station as Claire continued to read. With restless energy, he turned back and followed along, pointing to Deprexone in several paragraphs.

“They name NAS as the manufacturer of numerous popular pain meds,” said Alec. “No accusations are made. But they point to them as a major contributor.”

“With drug overdoses skyrocketing, all eyes are on pharmaceutical companies.” Claire folded the paper. “The problem is they’re boarding up their doors. I don’t doubt, for one minute, Westcott’s desire and ability to shut us out today.”

“He doesn’t know we’re coming this time. We get in and head straight for Shaggy. He’ll give us what we need.”

“One can only hope.”

Claire glanced up at the arrivals board as she grabbed her briefcase and joined the rush. She moved through the crowd and boarded the train as if it were her daily routine. She slid into the middle seat of the third row. Alec sat on the aisle. They watched as other passengers scrambled for the last available seats.

“We’re going to face obstacles with Westcott regardless of whether he expects us or not,” said Claire. “He’ll exaggerate his involvement in opioid development while hiding any mistakes that were made.”

“That’s where Ethan comes in. He’ll help us before helping Westcott.”

“I hope so. We need to see how NAS perpetuated the opioid pendulum.”

“Opioid pendulum?” asked Alec.

“That’s how physicians refer to it. In the 1980s, there was opiophobia, an overzealous fear of opioids. Opioids were prescribed only for surgery, hospitalized post-op, and end-of-life cancer pain. Drug manufacturers saw that fear as a perfect opportunity.”

“Opportunity for what?” Alec rolled the newspaper into a tube as he spoke.

“Developing new opioids and marketing them as safe for chronic pain,” said Claire.

“They were right. The market’s flooded.”

“And people are drowning.” Resting her hand on the seat in front of her, Claire turned sideways to face Alec. “The pendulum swung the other direction in the ’90s and created opiophilia. Opioids previously used for acute or cancer pain became the perfect answer for anything that hurts.”

“Oh shit.”

“That’s why we are where we are in 2022.”

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